For
a very long time indeed, in fact since the time of Winslow Homer's
residence in Cullercoats 1881 -1882 , there has been puzzlement as to the
reasons for Homer's arrival and long stay in a remote part of North East England. This was
Homer's second trip across the Atlantic, the first being in 1866-7 to
France for a nearly a year long stay. Whereas the trip to France had
little or no impact on Homer's work, the stay in Cullercoats some
fourteen years later had a dramatic effect, with some of his most
famous works being painted in his tiny studio on the Bank Top
overlooking the tiny fishing village harbour. On
his second trip, Homer wasted hardly any time at all before setting
out for Cullercoats after what can be observed as an obligatory
painting of the Houses of Parliament in London, during a short stay
in that city. This was a man with a firm destination in mind, and a
determination to reach it with the minimum of delay.

The
fishing village of Cullercoats had been attracting local artists who
painted there from about the 1820's, particularly Henry Perlee Parker
and John Wilson Carmichael (1800- 1868). Carmichael's daughter Annie
married William Luson Thomas, the founder of 'The Graphic'
(est.1869) an illustrated newspaper which had an immense influence
within the art world. By 1870 Cullercoats had developed into a thriving artists colony and is
often referred to as the 'Cullercoats Phenomenon' . This tiny fishing
village attracted a veritable 'who's who' of Victorian artistic
talent. One of those artists that came to Cullercoats was John Dawson
Watson (1832 – 1892), who is more commonly referred to as 'J.D.
Watson'.

J.D.
Watson was a painter, watercolourist and a highly respected
illustrator for notable published works and for the highly successful
'Illustrated London News' (est.1842) and for 'The Graphic'. J.D.
Watson was married to the sister of Myles Birket-Foster (1825-1899),
a North Shields-born artist and fellow illustrator for the
'Illustrated London News', who often painted at Cullercoats. J.D.
Watson was so taken by the fisher-life and the courageous acts of the
lifeboatmen of Cullercoats that he provided illustrations of their
heroism for both the 'Illustrated London News' - and most importantly
- 'The Graphic' , for example in 1870 and 1871, making Cullercoats
famous well beyond the shores of the United Kingdom. This in an area
of England famous for it's pioneering life-saving work by
Lifeboatmen and the newly formed Volunteer Life Brigades which had
also featured from 1865 onwards in the 'Illustrated London News' .

Illustrated
newspapers were hugely popular, and the 'Illustrated London News' –
the worlds first – was selling over 300,000 copies a week by
1863.'Harper's Weekly' the illustrated newspaper based in New York
City, was modelled on that highly successful London Newspaper, and
like the 'Illustrated London News' the proprietors used the services
of the best artistic talent available to provide it's readers with
the finest illustrations in their newspapers. Winslow Homer in his
capacity as an illustrator for 'Harper's Weekly' (est.1857) would
have had first-class access to the copies of the rival illustrated
newspapers of the day, most notably the overseas ones on which
'Harper's Weekly' was based. To think otherwise is inconceivable.
Drawn already by the news from the artistic circles of Europe, to see
the work and subject matter of those artists appear in the newspapers
would be of immense interest to Homer and his fellow
artist-illustrators in the United States. Both
the 'Illustrated London News' and 'The Graphic' had world-wide
circulations, and 'The Graphic' in particular stood out as it's
influence within the art world was immense. It was required reading
by the artistic community on both sides of the Atlantic, and it can
be said with some certainty that Winslow Homer, a member of the
prestigious National Academy, was one of those readers.

The
north east of England, already famous for industrial inventions and
innovation, through the Cullercoats colony of artists, became famous
for works of art, created at Cullercoats and in the surrounding area
by highly respected and well known painters of the Victorian age.
Much is owed to J.D. Watson's love of Cullercoats and his works
depicting fisher-life and the perils of the sea; and for their
inclusion in the illustrated newspapers that reached around the globe
and spread not only the fame of the place but also of the Cullercoats
colony of artists itself. The artists colony reached its zenith around the time of Homer's stay,
and it is reasonable to suggest that Homer had long held the desire
to come and see and experience for himself the cause of all the
interest that had generated notable articles
in the newspapers of the day. J. D. Watson's work as a noted
illustrator of the later editions of great literary works will have given further
cause for artists to ponder why and what he came by in this part of
the world that so grabbed his attention. Homer himself having worked
at Bufford's in Boston in his early years would have had a respect
for the great skill of J.D. Watson, further strengthening a growing
curiosity.

It
is that curiosity which became an unstoppable desire over the years
that brought Winslow Homer to Cullercoats in 1881. The length of his
stay and the sheer volume of his work tells of a man finding what he
was looking for and not wishing to miss a moment of his stay. The
fact that he carried on painting scenes of Cullercoats using his substantial
collection of sketches on his return to New York in late 1882 shows
that he had absorbed the very essence of Cullercoats life and taken
it back with him across the Atlantic. There
is no mystery why Homer came to Cullercoats. When Homer was asked
why he came to the village he would give an enigmatic smile and say
it was a 'happy chance'. For to give the real reason would have
involved a long and complex reply citing the many influences
throughout his life and his evolving curiosity after learning about
the area that had fascinated so many other respected artists over
many years.